NAPLES - Gov. Charlie Crist signed off on a state budget for the coming year and left intact $50 million allocated for Jackson Laboratory to expand in Collier County.

The next hurdle takes place in Washington when Congress makes a decision on a Medicaid stimulus package to states. That would be the source of the state dollars for Maine-based Jackson to build a genetics research facility on 50 acres near Ave Maria.

"This is a transformational opportunity, not only for medicine, but also for Collier County," said William O'Neill, chairman of the Economic Development Council, which has spearheaded the project along with county leaders.

The prospects of Jackson building a genetics research facility in Collier has been met with strong support by business interests, civic groups and elected leaders as part of a mission by the EDC to diversify the economy and bring in new jobs.

The concept is that Jackson would create 200 new jobs over the next 10 years but also serve as an anchor to attract other medical-related entities to foster a larger bio-medical park in the same vicinity. A consultants' report for the EDC says thousands more jobs could be created with the bio-medical park in the

Barron Collier Co., which owns the 50 acres that it has agreed to donate for the project, would earmark other nearby acreage for the park.

At the same time, some residents are increasingly speaking out against the project and that the county may consider spending $130 of taxpayer dollars to lure Jackson when county programs have been cut due to the economy. Moreover, there's outrage that a franchise fee with Florida Power and Light and other tax-based avenues for raising the $130 million may be considered when working families can ill afford it.